Process of hydrolyzing 16beta-alkyl-16alpha, 17alpha-oxido-11, 20 bis-oxygenated-1, 4-pregnadiene-3, 20-diones



United States Patent This invention is concerned generally with novel steroid compounds and with processes of preparing the same, more particularly, it relates to l1-oxygenated steroids of the pregnane series unsaturated in rings A and D and to novel processes for producing these steroids.

This is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 818,017, filed June 4, 1959, now Pat. No. 3,285,940.

The new products of our invention may be represented by the following structural formulae:

wherein R is a lower alkyl group such as methyl, ethyl, propyl 0r butyl, R is hydrogen or an acyl radical of an organic carboxylic acid containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, inclusive, R" is hydroxy or oxygen, and X is hydrogen or halogen. The broken line between carbon atoms 1 and 2 indicates a double bond may be present in this position. These 16-alkyl N -steroids and 16- alkyl-15halo Al -steroids possess useful anti-inflammatory activity and are intermediates for the preparation of other therapeutically useful steroids.

In preparing our novel chemical compounds, the starting material utilized may be an 11-oxygenated-l6a,17aoxido 1,4 pregnadiene-3,ZO-dione-ZI-acylate or 11- oxygenated 16a,17a-oxido-4-pregnene-3,ZO-dione-Z1- acylate (prepared as described hereinbelow) which may be identified by the following structural formula:

CHzO R wherein X, R, R and R" are asabove.

In a specific embodiment of our invention, 9ot-fluoro- 1113,21 dihydroxy 16/3-methyl-16a,17a-oxid0-1,4-preg- 3,378,574 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 nadiene-3,20-dione ZI-acetate which is represented by the following formula:

CHzOA 0 l -:0 if 19 or;

is utilized as the starting material.

It has been found that 9a-fluoro-11/3,2l-dihydroxy- 16B methyl 16a,17a-oxido-l,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione 21-acetate may be caused to react with hydrogen chloride in the presence of acetic acid to form a mixture of 9a fiuoro 11B,17a,2l trihydroxy-l6-methy1ene1,4- pregnadiene-3,20-dione 21-acetate (I), 9a-fluoro-11B,21- dinydroxy 16 methyl-1,4,14,l6-pregnatetraene-3,20- dione 21-acetate (II), and 9u-fiuoro-15-chloro-115,21-dihydroxy 16 methyl-1,4,16-pregnatriene-3,ZO-dione 21- acetate (III), which have the following formulae:

?HHO A a 2 0 A u C=O C O ---OH I CH3 H O 1 CH: H D

a e r: l a 0- $HZO-AO C O HO 1 CH3 -Cl i The mixture is resolved into the above three compounds by paper chromatography utilizing formamide as the stationary phase and benzene as the developing phase. A1ternatively, column chromatography or counter current extraction techniques may be utilized.

The oxide function of 9a-fluoro-11;8,21-dihydroxy-l6;9- methyl-16a,17tx-oxido-1,4-pregnadiene-,20-dione 21 acetate maybe opened 'by reaction with other acids. Hydrogen bromide in acetic acid forms a mixture of I and II, and the 15 bromo analog of III. Hydrogen fluoride in tetrahydro furan yields a mixture of I and II and the 15 fluoro analog of III.

The starting materials for the present process may be prepared from either of the known 16cc or 16,8-alkyl compounds of the following formula:

in which X, R and R are as above.

Treatment of either compound with semicarbazide base and semicarbazide hydrochloride leads to the correspond ing 3,20-disemicarbazone of the following formula:

CH2OH =NNHOONH2 wherein R, R, R and X are as above.

The latter l-unsaturated semicarbazone on treatment with hot aqueous acetic acid is converted to the corresponding 3,20-dione of the following formula:

CHzOR' wherein R, R, R" and X are as above.

The latter compound on treatment with an organic peroxide or organic peracid is converted into the corresponding l6cx,l7a-oxide starting material of the following formula:

wherein R, R, R" and X are as above.

The following experimental part illustrates in detail some of the compounds which constitute this invention and methods for their roduction. However, this invention is not to be construed as limited thereby in spirit or in scope since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications in materials and methods may be made without departing from the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 To 200 mg. of 9a-fiuoro-1lfl,2l-dihydroxy-l6B-methyl- 16a,l7a-oxido-1,4-pregnadiene-3,20 dione 21 acetate (prepared as described hereinbelow) in 10 ml. of acetic acid is added 10 ml. of 5% hydrogen chloride in acetic acid. After 5 minutes, the mixture is concentrated to dryness in vacuo, flushed with benzene and again concentrated to dryness.

Paper chromatography of the residue utilizing formamide as the stationary phase and benzene as the developing phase resolves the reaction mixture into four substances: 9a fiuoro ll,8,17a,2l trihydroxy-l6-methy 1,4,15-pregnatriene-3,20-dione Zl-acetate; QwfiUOIO-llfi, l7u,2l trihydroxy l6-methylene-1,4-pregnadiene-3,20- dione 21 acetate; 9a-fiuoro-l16,2l-dihydroxy-l6-methyl- 1,4,l4,16-pregnatetraene-3,20-dione 21 acetate and cfiuoro 15 chloro-ll5,2l-dihydroxy-16-methyl-l,4,l6- pregnatriene-3,20-dione 2l-acetate, respectively, 9tt-liuoro- 1l/3,l7u,21 trihydroxy-l6-rnethyl-1,4,lS- regnatriene-S', 20-dione 2l-acetate is obtained from the second most polar of the bands which is cut from the paper. The steroid is eluted from the paper by means of methanol. Concentration of the methanol to dryness in vacuo and crystallization of the residue from acetone-ether gives 9afluoro 11,B,17a,21 trihydroxy l6-methyl-1,4,lS-pregnatriene-3,20-dione ZI-acetate which is effective for the treatment of arthritis and related diseases.

From the third and fourth bands by similar treatment are obtained respectively 9a-fiuoro-11,8,2l-dihydroxy-l6- methyl 1,4,14,16 pregnatetraene-3,20-dione 2l-acetate and 90a fluoro 15 chloro-ll[3,21-dihydroxy-16-methyl- 1,4,16-pregnatriene-3,20-dione Zl-acetate.

When the reaction is carried out utilizing 5% hydrogen bromide in acetic acid 9a-fiuoro-15-bromo-l15,2l-dihydroxy 16-methyl-l,4,16-pregnatriene-3,20-dione Zl-acetate is obtained from the fourth band. When the reaction is carried out in tetrahydrofuran utilizing hydrogen fluoride as the acid reagent 904-, l5-difluoro-11fi,21-dihydroxy 16-methyl-1,4,1-pregnatriene-3,20-dione 21-acetate is obtained from the fourth band.

The 90c fluoro 113,2l-dihydroxy-16/3-methyl-16a,17aoxido-l,4-pregnadiene-3,20dione 2l-acetate used as a starting material in this example, is prepared starting with the known 9a-fiuoro-1 lB,17a,2l-trihydroxy-16mmethyl 1,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione in accordance with the following procedure:

A mixture of 1.00 g. of 9a-fiuo1'o-11,8,17u,2l-trihydroxy 16a-methyl 1,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione, 750 mg. of semicarbazide base, 280 mg. of semicarbazide hydrochloride in 20 ml. of methanol and 10 ml. of dimethylformamide is refluxed for 20 hours under nitrogen. The mixture is cooled to 20 C. and ml. of water is added with stirring. The precipitated 3,20-disemicarbazone of 90a fiuoro 11B,17,2l-trihydroxy-l6u-methyl-l,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione is filtered, washed with water, and dried in air; M.P. over 300 onion Illa-x- AMeOH max.

243 m Em 22,000

To a stirred solution of 510 mg. of 9a-fiuoro-11B,21- dihydroxy 16-methyll,4,l6-pregnatriene-3,220-dione 21 acetate in 15 ml. of methylene dichloride is added g. of disodium hydrogen phosphate. The mixture is cooled to 0 and 2.5 mol of a 2 M solution of peroxytrifiuoracetic acid in methylene chloride [prepared from 0.40 ml. of 90% hydrogen peroxide and 2.54 ml. of trifluoroacetic anhydride in 22.50 ml. of methylene chloride] is added. The mixture is kept at room temperature for one hour. Water is added and the mixture is extracted with methylene chloride. The methylene chloride extract is washed with water, dried over magnesium sulfate and concentrated to dryness. Crystallization of the residue from acetone-ether gives 9rz-fluoro-1lB,21-dihydroxy-16;S- methyl l6ot,17a-oxido 1,4-pregnadiene-3,20-dione 21- acetate; M.P. 227-230 237 m Em 15,100

4,15 pregnadiene-3,11,20-trione. The corresponding 16- methyl A1416 and 16-methyl-15-halo A steroids are also obtained as shown above.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the present invention, certain preferred embodiments of which are herein disclosed, without departing from the scope thereof; to the extent that these changes and modifications are within the scope of the appended claims, they are to be considered a part of this invention.

6 We claim: 1. The process which comprises reacting a compound of the following formula:

wherein R is lower alkyl, R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and acyl, R" is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy and oxygen, and X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and halogen, with a hydrogen halide in the presence of an organic solvent to form a mixture of compounds having the following formulae:

R' f R I IX 5) wherein R, R, R" and X are as above.

2. The process which comprises reacting 9a-fiuoro-11;3, 21 dihydroxy 16f methyl-16a,17a-oxido-1,4-pregnadione-3,20-dione 2l-acetate with hydrogen chloride in the presence of acetic acid to form a mixture of 9ot-fluoro- 11}3,l7oc,21 trihydroxy 16 methylene-1,4-pregnadiene- 3,20 dione ZI-acetate, 9a-fiuoro-115,21-dihydroxy-16- methyl 1,4,14,16 pregnatetraene 3,20-dione 21-acetate and 9a fiuoro 15 chloro-l15,21-dihydroxy-16- methyl-1,4,16-pregnatriene-3,20-dione ZI-acetate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,122,573 2/1964 Nomine et a1. 260-397.4

ELBERT L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A COMPOUND OF THE FOLLOWING FORMULA: 